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Tristan Welch's Christmas cured salmon

He's now the head chef at Launceston Place in Kensington (020 7937 6912), but Welch's career really took off when he won the Gordon Ramsay Scholarship in 2003. This year, he won a gong at the inaugural London Restaurant Festival awards. His recipe is an alternative to trad smoked salmon. "Turn ordinary fresh salmon fillets into something special with this easy aromatic spice and salt cure," he says. "Then slice and serve as a starter."

Serves 4

4 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on

For the cure

1 tsp white or black peppercorns

2 tbsp chopped fresh fennel (trimmings will do fine)

50g sea salt

50g unrefined granulated sugar

Dash of gin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

Tear off four 25cm x 25cm pieces of clingfilm. Place a salmon fillet in the centre of each, skin side down. Meanwhile, place the pepper­corns, fennel, salt, sugar, gin and spices in a